Cycle World of Athens Consumer Reviews

ATHENS, GEORGIA -- I had an oil seal in my transmission replaced by this company, 3/18/2010, at a cost of $85.47 for the oil seal and installation of my original transmission sprocket. Less than 2 weeks after the installation of these components, the sprocket spun all the splines while I was riding the bike, leaving me stranded alongside the road about 20 miles from my home.

I went back to this Harley dealer and told them I felt it was an error on the mechanics part, installing this sprocket improperly. A service representative told me that the splines on the sprocket are softer than the splines on the transmission shaft. It was on so it could strip those splines instead of causing internal damage to the transmission. That explained why the sprocket was made of that particular material, but it did not explain the reason the sprocket malfunctioned. The representative said there was no way he could determine if it was the mechanics fault or not, so I ended up purchasing a new sprocket and having it installed costing me $221.66.

Thinking the problem was resolved, less than a year and a half later while riding my bike 90 miles away from home, I experienced the same problem. I disassembled the primary chain case and removed the transmission sprocket again that had spun the splines off of it. I took both damaged sprockets to the service manager at Cycle World and explained the situation. He told me to bring in my bike and I asked if he wanted the parts that I had removed also and he said yes, to bring those as well and he was going to see what he could do.

I brought my bike in with the parts thinking the service manager was going to replace the damaged parts and put my bike back together because he had told me to bring the parts with me. A service representative wrote out the work order and I got the work order from him and wrote on it "any parts or labor is to be done at no cost to the customer". I already paid for a new sprocket that I shouldn't have paid for.

The service manager came to me and asked why I had written that and I explained to him that I can't keep bringing my bike to them to keep changing out parts if it is going to cost me because I would take it to someone who was going to do it right. Well he seemed to be upset about that comment so he said the only thing he was going to do was replace the sprocket.

I was expecting him to replace the sprocket and re-install the components I had removed. Because he refused to re-install those components, I asked what he would charge me to put the bike back together. He called me into his office and brought in the shop foreman and the shop foreman told him it would be 3 hours labor @ $65 ($195). I told them I thought that was too high, that I could do it quicker than that.

The service manager told me that the mechanics write down the actual time on the back of the work order and he would just charge me that amount. I agreed to these terms because the only other thing I could have done at this point was to haul everything back home and put my bike back together again myself.

Thinking I was going to pay $195 or less, I got my bike back and a bill for $256.55. I didn't like this outcome at all because the service manager should have taken care of the whole situation at no cost to me. He claimed I knew of their 30-day warranty on labor and their 90-day warranty on parts, so he says he was fair and generous by giving me a sprocket (the 3rd one to be installed on my bike) for free.

I was not aware of the warranty time frame nor was I even concerned whether it had a warranty or not. I made a complaint to one of the business owners and he had the service manager respond to that complaint. The complaint stated everything I mentioned here and I felt I should have been reimbursed partially or in full for what I had to pay to get my transmission sprocket installed properly. Even though the 3rd sprocket was out of warranty according to them, the first sprocket at the time it malfunctioned was not. This company refuses to do absolutely nothing about this issue except to tell me they are sorry I feel the way I do and wish me safe riding.

I have filed a complaint with the BBB against them and they responded to the BBB that I had an engine problem that I refused to pay to have fixed. I have never had an engine problem and still don't. Cycle World of Athens should be ashamed to treat customers the way I have been treated on this issue. It's obvious they will never do anything to resolve the problem so I am hoping that other people that may patronize their business are very careful of what they get into.

ATHENS, GEORGIA -- In July 2006, I took my 2005 Honda CBR 1000 RR Motorcycle to Cycle World of Athens, GA in order to have the front brakes checked and the tires replaced. After diagnosing the problem, they concluded that the bikes' front fork seals needed to be replaced, and they needed to order a tire. They fixed the back tire and released the bike to me while ordering the other parts.

After they fixed the bike from ordering the parts, I picked it up and rode to my office (approx 4 miles) then home (approx 3 miles). The bike started making a knocking sound, and I called the dealer the next day to pick it up. They asked me to drive the bike, and I told them it would not be a good idea. They sent someone to pick it up. After they got the bike to the shop, they told me it would take approx 1 week to diagnose the problem and that they would need to take my engine apart (costing me approx $200 to diagnose).

They finally got back with me and said that I had blown the engine from lack of oil. I was seriously confused, and they decided to check the history on my maintenance. They concluded that the bike had not been in since it had the service at approx 4k miles. The bike actually had a clutch replaced along with the oil changed approx 3 months prior to the engine situation (almost exactly half way between Cycle World's 1st service and the service that blew the engine).

Robert, a former employee of Cycle World, actually replaced the clutch on my bike. Ray, a current Honda Service tech that works at Cycle World, helped him with the clutch as well. Willie, another Cycle World employee, even sold the oil filter and oil to Robert at a discounted price since they used to work together.

I cannot understand how my bike can leave the dealer and not have oil in it? I cannot figure out how it lost over 2 quarts of oil with NO record of leakage according to the dealer. The service manager told me that we could try and contact Honda to see if we could have it covered under warranty. After Honda came out, they said that this was not a Warranty item that they would cover.

So now I am without a bike and to get it back. Cycle World is telling me that it is going to cost approx $3k to replace the engine - WOW! Why should I pay for their mistake? The bike had oil when it got there - so where did it go? The service manager has tried to be nice and said we could try to find an engine on eBay - but why should I even have to pay for a used engine? I know the bike had oil when it got there, but when it left it only had approx 1 quart according to the dealer. I have done every service that the bike has required, and the dealer's initial reaction was that it was neglect on my part for not checking the oil - I did.

Their mechanic worked on it after hours helping with a clutch - the dealer sold the oil filter and oil, and the initial service was done in their shop. I have had the oil changed 3 times in the time I have had the bike so I cannot figure out why I am paying for a mistake that I did not make. In my opinion, this is neglect on the part of Cycle World. As a consumer, I am dissatisfied with this entire situation.